Monday, April 20, 2015

Kingsbury Cemetery has to be one of the prettiest, best maintained older cemeteries I've seen in a long time!

It's located in Oxford, Oakland County. Find-A-Grave says there are 114 interments. It is actually in the school yard of of the original schoolhouse of Kingsbury Country Day School, a K-8 charter school on 125 acres of rolling countryside. Most of the stones seemed to be from the late 1800s thru the early 1900s, with the odd exception of ones from 2003 & 2008.

There as a sharp drop off to the road on the other side of this fence, so I parked near the school buses and crossed the schoolyard to get to the cemetery.

I couldn't resist! I had to go play on the merry-go-round first!

The founders, Carlton & Annette Higbie

They were sort of in the front corner by themselves.

After the Higbie's - this stone caught my eye.

Until I did some research, I assumed this is who founded the school but I was wrong! Alonzo deeded the land to the township where the school was built.

~giggle~

I wish I could have read these stones. Judging by the size and spacing, they were babies.

This was a very pleasant place to explore. I made a valiant effort to find the one Find-A-Grave photo request, but I wasn't able to find it. She may be one whose inscription was been worn away, since there were several.

Sunday, April 12, 2015

It's been a while! I spent a good part of yesterday out exploring some cemeteries out near my sister's house - in the Hunt / Horse Country of northern Oakland / Lapeer Counties.

Nothing much has been greening up yet, but it was mostly sunny / partly hazy and comfortably warm to be out in just a hoodie. Best of all - no bugs!

I planned on stopping at 4 cemeteries and ended up going to 6. The first of these is located in Dryden, Lapeer County.

I couldn't find out much info about Whigville Cemetery, other than according to Find-A-Grave saying it has 129 interments. The name likely came from a settlement of the same name when the area had a lot of lumbering in the mid 1800s. The dates on the stones ranged from 1862-1949 with one from 1976 and another from 1986, but nothing more recent than that. A lot were hard or impossible to read, as with older cemeteries.

There was no sign and the very small cemetery was surrounded by a farm. The driveway to the house ran up the right side with house to the rear. Directly behind was a barn and to the left a small swampy area and pastures - from where a large gray draft horse watched me intently. A woman who I assume was the lady of the house, came out while talking on the phone and hung out near the barn, I assume the cemetery doesn't get many visitors so she was keeping an eye on me. I made a point to stoop often to peer closely at inscriptions and also to consult my phone. Honestly, there are 2 photo requests and I was looking to find the stones while I was there.

The one side was terraced and the stones have fallen off their bases and been set back up.

Isaac Newton!

Her name was Asenath - quite unusual. Isaac's wife

Close up of the hands. Still lovely since 1881.

At least an attempt was made to keep the stone together.

I liked the chain links.

Fayette. Another unusual name that I saw several times this day.

March 4, 1964 - Sept 28, 1867

I love there are flowers by her stone!

Close up of the branch and possibly bird?

Beautiful carvings.

Their last name was Smiley. I like how Joseph & Jennie's names are carved at an angle below daughter Lizzie's name.

Adaline is another name I saw a lot of.

One of the photo requests was for an Ira Smith. This whole row of fallen stones were Smiths - and the 3rd one is missing. I bet that is Ira's.

Anett and Mary Smith both have beautiful detail on the corners of their stones.